The NZ Geotechnical Society awards a number of prizes and scholarships on a variety of different timeframes. Full details of each of the awards available, along with details of how to apply or how to nominate someone, their frequency of repetition and a list of previous winners is on the website at www.nzgs.org. Please contact Sally Hargraves on the NZGS committee if you have any queries regarding any
of the awards listed.
A list of the more regular awards and associated closing dates is given below.
NZGS Scholarship
Applications close 31 October 2017. The scholarship is currently for up to $20,000 to enable a member of the Society to undertake postgraduate research in NZ that would advance the objectives of the Society.
Student Poster Award
Registrations will close 20 October 2017; Completed posters are due by 10 November 2017.
YGP Conference 2018
abstracts due December 2017. Awards are available to NZGS members, under the age of 35 years, who submit an abstract for each YGP Conference (NZ/Aus). Judging is via the abstracts submitted and the award is to help fund attendance at the Conference at which the paper is to be presented.
Update to November 2016
We have received a total of eight applications for the NZGS Scholarship – which is increased this year up to a potential total of $20,000. Applications were from a mix of geologists and engineers, from all around the country and across a mix of PhD and Masters research topics, mostly full time, but a couple from people completing Masters whilst still working. It’s great to see such a high level of interest in the scholarship this year. Successful applicants will be notified in December / January with confirmation in the June edition of Geomechanics News.
As at the end of October 2016, we had received six entries for the annual NZGS student poster competition, which will be judged and the winners notified in early to mid-December. All posters will be put up on display at a local branch event (location yet to be determined), prior to the prize giving. The winning posters will also be published in the June edition of Geomechanics News.
Coming up in 2017 – 2018
YGP Fellowship 2017 – this will be awarded to the author of the best paper by a NZ representative at each local (Aus/NZ) YGP Conference.
International Society Awards
The NZGS committee are continually seeking nominations for the following awards which are awarded either annually or biannually. Please contact the committee if you would like to nominate someone for any of these awards.
IAEG Awards
The Hans-Cloos Medal is the senior award presented by IAEG, given to an engineering geologist of outstanding merit in commemoration of the “founder of geomechanics”. The recipient should therefore be a person of international repute who has made a major contribution to engineering geology in his/her written papers or to the development of engineering geology and/or the IAEG in their own area.
The Richard Wolters’ prize specifically recognises meritorious scientific achievement by a younger member of the engineering geology profession (less than 35 years old on January 1st of the relevant year) and is awarded to honour Dr. Wolters’ many contributions to international understanding and co-operation.
ISRM Awards
The Rocha Medal has been awarded annually by the ISRM, since 1982, for an outstanding doctoral thesis in rock mechanics or rock engineering. Struck in the memory of ISRM Past President Manuel Rocha, it is intended to stimulate and reward young researchers. Since 2010, in addition to the Rocha Medal awarded to the winner, one or two runner-up certificates have also been awarded.
As with all the awards, the latest news can be found on the NZGS website at www.nzgs.org.